A Forgotten Spirit
by son44
Summary: After passing out inside of the Si Wong Desert, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph encounter a man in his solitude.
1. Saved by a Forgotten Spirit

**Hello everyone my name is son44 and this is A Forgotten Soul. I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for awhile and I just needed to get pen to paper so to speak. I think it has potential to be a great story. I have plans for this story to go straight from here all the way through The Legend of Korra, so fasten your seat belts folks. This is gonna be an awesome ride.**

 **At the bottom there will be an author's note so please check that out! It will give some clarification on a few things that you might be questioning at the end of the chapter.**

 **AN: I do not own PJO or ATLA.**

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Normally, Aang never got mad. The monks among the Air Temples had taught him to be slow to anger and quick to forgiveness. Yet Aang was seething right now. Toph had failed to protect Appa and now he along with Katara, Sokka, and Momo were stranded inside of the Si Wong Desert.

The group had picked a direction and began to walk. The heat was unbearable and the only water they had was the amount inside of Katara's water skin. It wasn't much, but Aang had made it by on much less.

The beginning of the end though was when Sokka had started to drink the cactus juice. He started waving his arms and spread the fear that they were never going make it out of the desert. In all honesty though, seeing Sokka like that would've been hilarious if they hadn't been in a desert with no clue how to get it.

The first of the group to pass out was Toph. The blind girl had been on the surface absorbing heat for a long time while he, Sokka, Katara, and Professor Zei descended into Wa Shi Tong's library. Katara was quick to aid her and use the last of the remaining water to bring her temperature down, but the rowdy Earthbender was still out cold.

The next to pass out was Sokka. The elder Water Tribe boy was in the middle of going on about giant mushrooms when he face planted into a sand dune and slowly slid down it. Aang and Katara were quick to come to his aid. When they reached the bottom of dune, his head had been stuck in sand and Momo was flopped down next to them.

After a quick discussion, Aang and Katara decided that the best way to move forward was for Aang to airbend the two unconscious friends slightly off the ground. Essentially like a stretcher. Little progress was made after this though. The slow movement of their friends and the constant baking under the sun led to Aang and Katara finally passing out underneath the hot desert sun.

So when Aang woke up to the feeling of a soft pillow underneath his head a familiar feeling of coolness, he was very confused. He sat up from his spot on the ground and took a look around the place he was in.

The room was dark, the only light being a few candles that illuminated the room and few slivers of sunlight that seeped through the wood plank walls. The light revealed to Aang a decent sized house with a small ladder that Aang could only assume lead upstairs. There were a few homemade crafts here, chairs, pots, and a table, that were all beautifully crafted along with a small kitchen area.

It was at that moment Aang started to remember. He was with his friends! Where were they. Aang quickly sprang up only to accidentally step on something. He looked down to see Sokka passed out on the floor with his arms and leg sprawled across the ground. Aang glanced upward again and he saw Katara and Toph sharing a bed. A small smile appeared on Aang's face. Never before had he expected those two to get along, yet share a bed.

It was at that moment Aang heard the door latch open. He quickly turned around and stood at the ready. The monks had taught him pacifism, but it never hurt to be edgy when you woke up inside of a strangers house.

The door swung open and Aang had to squint through the brightness in order to just get a glimpse. However, when the figure finally shut the door, he got a good look at the man whose house he was in.

The figure was towering. Easily much taller than Aang's own 5'4" and probably much taller than Sokka's 5'9". If he had to guess, the man was easily 6'2". The next thing that Aang noticed was the man's features. The man was tan, about a shade lighter than the people of the Water Tribe, yet tan none the less. He had windswept raven black hair and eyes the color of the sea. The man was dressed in long dark pants and a pair of knee high dark brown boots. Around the man's waist were animal furs in which Aang couldn't quite figure out. The man wore no shirt, instead opting for a lone shoulder pad on his right shoulder.

However, the thing that surprised Aang the most was the man's figure. The man was incredibly muscular. He had a six pack of abs along with his arms being covered in firm muscle. The man wasn't overly big though. The best way to describe him was toned in all the right places.

The man closed the door behind him and made his way into the room. As he got closer though, Aang's eyes widened. The man had multiple scars littered across his body. Some were tiny, the smallest being about the length of his pinky toe. The largest were three circular scars, about 2-4 inches in diameter, that were in the man's side right below his rib cage.

During his time at the Air temple, he had eavesdropped on some of the elders and heard a story about warriors battling in the Earth Kingdom. How they were fierce human beings who defended their homeland. The closest Aang had ever seen to a warrior was the Kyoshi Warriors, but the man in front of him was the real deal.

"I see you've finally awakened" the man called out as he made his way into the kitchen area "Come. Sit. Food will be ready soon."

Aang cautiously eyed the man and made his way forward. He sat down on one of the benches near the table. He watched as the man in the kitchen placed food into two bowls. He made his back toward the table and placed the food in front of Aang. The airbender peered inside to see a delicious stew filled with carrots and mushrooms. Aang grabbed the bowl with his hands and lifted it up to his face. He took a slurp and he let out a quiet moan at the taste of the food.

"Wow this is really good" Aang said as he placed the bowl back on the table and looked at the man "Thank you."

The man let out a quiet chuckle, "It's no problem. After finding you and your friends in the desert, I figured you would be hungry."

Aang and the man peered over toward the sleeping figures on the floor. At that moment, Sokka groaned and rolled over, grabbing the pillow that was once Aang's and pulled it close. The man and Aang chuckled at the sight.

"I should be saying thank you" Aang said as he and the man turned back to face one another "You saved me and my friends out in the desert. If you hadn't found us, we might've been Buzzard Wasp food."

"It's nothing" the man said as he stood up "I had business in the desert. You were lucky the sandbenders didn't find you and I did."

At the mention of sandbenders, Aang perked up. Maybe this man knew where Appa was?! However before he could ask, Aang and the man heard a groan over by the bed. Katara had begun to stir. The water bender opened her eyes slowly and gave a little shriek when she saw Toph so close to her. In reaction, Toph woke up and in her shocked state, she fell off the bed and landed on Sokka. The water tribesman let out a 'ouf' when Toph landed on him.

"Oh my gosh Toph! Are you okay?" Katara said as she moved over to the side of the bed to check on the girl.

Toph let out a groan, "Yeah I'm okay. Snoozles over here braced my fall."

"Shh!" Sokka said on the ground "Nobody speak. My head is killing me."

"That's what you get for drinking that cactus juice" Katara said as she got out of bed.

The older girl reached out and grabbed Toph's arm and lifted her up off the ground.

"Woah this place is dirty" Toph said "I like it!"

"Katara! Sokka! Toph!" Aang called out as he jumped up from his seat "You guys are okay!"

"Of course we are Twinkle Toes" Toph replied "Takes a little bit more than desert heat to take us out of commission."

"Shh!" Sokka said from his spot on the floor. He then grabbed a pillow and slammed it over his face.

The group of teenagers let out a laugh at their friend's antics. They then turned around to see the man holding two bowls of stew in their hand.

"Hungry?" he asked.

At that moment, both Toph and Katara's stomachs began to grumble. Katara had an embarrassed look on her face while Toph seemed to remain indifferent to it.

The man chuckled, "Come. Eat."

The man then placed the bowls down and the small group of four took their seats. Katara and Toph sat next to one another on one side of the table, while Aang and the man sat on the other, albeit with some space between the two males.

The two girls dug into their food, and in the meantime, Aang and the man made small talk.

"So… what's your name mister?" Aang asked.

The man was quite for a few moments. Almost as if he was weighing his options. However, right when Aang thought he wasn't going to answer, the man spoke.

"My name is Perseus." The man said simply "But those who were once close to me called me Percy."

"Perseus?" Toph said as she took a break from eating her food "What kind of name is that?"

"The kind that is ancient" Percy responded "and a kind that you have probably have never heard of."

"Sorry about that" Katara said as she elbowed Toph in her side "Toph doesn't have the best manners."

"It's quite alright" Percy said as he accepted the apology, "When I was younger I had a sharp tongue to."

The group laughed a little and continued to make small talk. Katara asked what Percy did for a living and he told them that he was a farmer. He explained how the land near the Si Wong desert had been exceptionally fertile if farmed correctly and how he never abused the land. Farming just enough for him to get by happily.

After a sitting around and conversing, Sokka finally made his way to the table. He grumpily made his way to the table and sat down. Percy had gotten up and gotten a bowl of soup for the boy when he saw them. Sokka groggily thanked the man.

"You guys have a really hard time being quiet you know that?" Sokka muttered.

Toph, Katara, and Aang both broke out in laughter at Sokka and Percy chuckled at the younger boy's words.

"You all are welcome to stay here and recover for as long as you like" Percy said, catching the group's attention "You seem like good kids."

"That's very kind of you sir but…" Katara began but she was cut off by Aang.

"We can't waste any time" Aang said, his peaceful nature turning into one of seriousness "We have to find my bison and make it to the Earth Kingdom."

Percy mused over this before he spoke, "If you're looking for a sky bison, I believe I saw one earlier."

This instantly caught everyone's attention. Sokka looked up from his stew, Katara looked hopeful, Toph relieved, and a huge smile filled Aang's face.

"What where is he?!" Aang asked "Is he here?"

"Unfortunately no" Percy answered.

The group's hope sank at that. Aang was clearly upset and the rest of the group looked downtrodden at the news. However, Katara was quick to lift everyone's spirits.

"Do you know what direction he flew away in?" Katara asked.

"Hmm" Percy said as he thought to himself "If my memory serves me correctly, he flew in the direction of Ba Sing Se. It seems fate has been kind to you this day."

With that, the young teenagers faces filled with hope. They had a chance at finding Appa and that's all that mattered now.

"We have to get going now then!" Aang said as he jumped up from the table "We might still be able to catch up to Appa."

However, nobody at the table moved. Sokka and Katara eyed one another and Toph sat there quietly.

"Aang this is Appa we're talking about" Katara said gently "There's no way we'd be able to catch up with him tonight. Besides we need our rest."

With that, Aang slumped back down into his chair.

"You guys are right" Aang said quietly "We need to be at our full strength if we're going to catch Appa."

At that moment, Sokka let out a yawn. "I don't know about guys, but I feel like I could sleep for another full day. I'm gonna get some rest and then we can head out for Ba Sing Se in the morning."

The group muttered their agreement. Sokka went back to his spot on the floor and Katara and Toph moved back toward the bed they were on earlier. However, Aang still sat on the bench.

"Do not worry." Percy said to Aang, doing his best comfort him "Your bison is smart. He will be safe in Ba Sing Se. Now sleep. You are my guests and I will keep watch."

Aang gave the man a small smile and nodded his head. He made his way back toward his spot on the floor. He quickly and quietly layed down and closed his eyes until the sweet bliss of sleep washed over him.

* * *

Aang awoke early the next morning. He had been eager to get a start on heading to Ba Sing Se and searching for Appa. When he woke it was still dark out and he knew his friends wouldn't appreciate waking so early. So Aang did what any kid would do, he began to look around.

Percy's home was small, that much Aang could gather. However, what it lacked in size it made up in character. There were several pieces of pottery in his home and inscribed on the pottery was a language he didn't understand.

After inspecting the artwork closely, Aang decided to take a look upstairs. He quietly climbed the ladder and made his way up, careful not to make a sound. When Aang reached the top, he peered his head over the ledge just so that he could see was going on. What he found was Percy packing up a few bags for the group. The bags were full of supplies and Percy had put the finishing touches on the last bag.

Percy glanced over toward the ladder and Aang quickly tucked his head down, hoping that the he didn't notice him.

"It's alright Aang, you can come up here." Percy called out.

Aang let out a huff at the fact he had been caught and climbed up the ladder. He made his way onto the top floor and sat down cross legged to where Percy motioned. The elder man leaned the last bag against the side of the wall next to the three others. Meanwhile, Aang observed the top floor. There wasn't much up here besides a wooden chair, footrest, and a large chest on the other side of the room. What was inside, Aang could only guess.

"I sense strife in you" Percy said as he sat in front of Aang "What's on your mind?"

Aang let out a deep breath and spoke what was on his mind. His fear of the Fire Nation, his nervousness about making it to Ba Sing Se, and most importantly, finding Appa.

Percy had been a good listener. He listened as Aang spoke and he offered advice whenever he finished talking about a fear of his. It was at the end of Percy comforting Aang's fears that the man said something that was truly surprising.

"As the Avatar, I'm sure this can't be easy for you." Percy said nonchalantly.

"How did you know I was the Avatar?" Aang asked defensively as he sprung to his feet.

Percy let out a laugh "Relax boy. I mean you no harm. I knew you were the Avatar the minute I picked you up in the desert. It's not everyday you come across a boy with traditional airbending tattoos and attire."

With that explanation Aang sat down gently "Sorry about that. I've been a little on edge as of lately."

"Understandably so" Percy said.

Percy then rummaged through one of the pockets in his pants and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He uncrumpled it and stuck it out for Aang to grab. He grabbed it and it was a well done picture of Aang and at the top of the paper it said WANTED in bold.

"The Fire Nation has also been putting those out all over the place." Percy said amused.

With that, Percy and Aang began to chuckle. The pair weren't sure why, after all, being a wanted man was something neither wanted.

After a few moments, the pair's laughter began to die down until they quiet again. Percy was the first to break the silence.

"You know Aang, I understand what it's like for you… in a strange way." Percy said.

Aang's interest was now peaked. He refocused and gave his full attention to Percy.

"I understand what it's like to have the fate of the world rest on your shoulders' Percy stated "I wasn't as young as you but I understand it. If you stick with your friends, I promise you that you'll turn out okay."

Aang was about to question Percy further, but a banging noise was heard on the front door. Percy and Aang were quick on their feet and below them, Sokka, Toph, and Katara were quickly awakened.

"Come on out!" the voice yelled outside "There's no use in hiding them anymore!"

"Who is that !?" Aang whispered to Percy.

"I do not know" Percy quickly replied.

Percy then stealthily made his way to the front of the building and peered down through a crack in the upstairs wall.

"It's the Fire Nation" Percy said through grit teeth.

Percy quickly made his way past Aang and over to the chest that was up there with them. Percy opened it and paused for a second as he looked at it's content. He quickly snapped out of it though and took his belongings out.

The first thing Percy placed on was a layered, collared, black vest. After that, he slipped a large wrist bracer over his right wrist. Finally, the last object he took out of the the chest was a large weapon, a battle axe. On one side was an axe blade, and on the other was has hammer. Percy stared at it for a second before placing it in the small holster on his back.

With that, Percy made his way over to the edge of the upstairs and dropped down, not bothering to use the ladder. Aang quickly followed behind him in dropping down. Percy quickly gathered Aang, Katara, Toph, and Sokka.

"The Fire Nation is here." Percy said quickly and quietly "I'm going to try and send them away. Stay quiet and out of sight."

"And if that fails?" Katara asked.

Percy was quiet for a few seconds, "Then ready yourselves for a fight."

The group nodded their heads and quickly moved to the front of them room and away from the doorway. Percy readied himself and opened his front door. Meanwhile, the rest of the teenagers peered through the holes in the wood plank walls, trying to get a view of what was happening.

Once he was outside, Percy was now face to face with a Fire Nation commander. Behind him was a squad of Firebenders, most standing in line while two sat on their Komodo Rhino's.

Percy took a few steps forward until he was near the commander. Percy towered over him by a few inches and stared down him down.

"What do you want?" Percy said curtly.

"You're definitely the one" the commander said out loud "A group of Sandbenders reported to us that a large man was now in possession of the Avatar. If you tell us where he is, we will be merciful."

Inside Percy's home, the group's breath hitched. Would Percy give them up?

"What you're seeking isn't here" Percy said as he began to turn away from the commander and walk back into his home "You should move on."

The commander let out a laugh "There is no use in lying to us. We know they're here. Give them to us. Now."

Percy then slowly turned around and was now towering over the man "You do not want this fight."

The commander let out an evil cackle and moved his hand up to stroke his beard, "Oh I'm pretty sure I do."

With that, the commander used the hand he was stroking his beard with to backhand Percy across the face. However, the slap was only enough to turn his head slightly.

Inside the house, Sokka tried to move to run to Percy's aid but Katara held him back.

Percy turned back to face the commander who overstepped his place.

"Leave. My. Home." Percy said, the anger clearly evident in his voice.

"You're going to have to kill all of us for that to happen" the commander challenged.

With that the commander launched another a flaming fist into the side of Percy's face, burning the side of his cheek. This was followed by two flaming uppercuts which Percy absorbed without as much as moving. The commander then went for a right hook, but Percy caught it in his hand. He then began to twist the man's arm to the side, causing the man to groan with how uncomfortable the feeling was.

"I warned you…" Percy said angrily.

The commander's eyes filled with fear as the burn mark on Percy's face slowly started to heal itself. Percy then cocked his free hand back and launched a devastating blow straight into the face of the man.

The blow shocked everyone who was watching. The man went flying backwards and when his body hit the ground it continued to roll at an awkward angle until he came to a stop.

The commander stood up, clutching his broken nose that was now seeping blood "What are you waiting for?! Get him!"

One of the riders of a Komodo Rhino charged forward with a spear in Percy's direction. Percy charged forward to meet it and at the last second, the wrist bracer on his arm expanded into a bronze shield. Percy batted away the spear and using his free hand, he grabbed his axe from his back and swung it into the throat of the rhino, stopping it in its tracks. The sharp stop threw the rider from his seat and it launched him into the side of Percy's home, where he came to a stop with a sickening crunch.

Percy dislodged his axe from the throat of the rhino and threw it toward the rider of the other rhino. The axe went spiraling end over end until the blade sank into the chest of a rider, the force launching him off of his steed.

Before Percy could retrieve his axe, the rest of the Fire Nation troops who were not on the Komodo Rhinos launched a torrent of flames toward the man who had struck down two of their comrades. Percy quickly raised his shield in front of him and he began to block the flame.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to take the heat for long, Percy let out a roar and he felt the familiar tug in his gut. An explosion of water appeared underneath the soldiers feet, launching the men into the air with screams.

Percy rose up from behind his shield and opened his free palm up. In a few seconds, Percy's axe came flying through the air back toward him until he grabbed it from the air. Percy then felt the sting of flame as fire burned across his back. He quickly turned around to see the commander shooting flames at him.

Percy quickly rushed the commander and batted the man's arm down with his shield. The commander stumbled backwards with shock. He fell to the ground and tried his best to get away from the raging man in front of him. Percy raised his axe to commit the final blow, but a voice called out.

"Wait stop!" Aang said as he burst forth from his hiding spot in Percy's home.

The rest of the group quickly followed behind the Avatar until they were standing a few feet behind him.

"Killing isn't the answer" Aang said as he moved toward Percy "let him go."

"Why?" Percy questioned "If we let him go he will report back to his commanders that we were here and they'll be back in greater number."

"Then so be it" Aang said calming down his new friend "It's better than to have to live with the killing."

Percy kept his axe arm raised in the air above the commander who was now cowering on the ground. With a huff of breath, Percy lowered the axe and placed it back onto his back. He then turned his attention down toward the commander.

"If you tell a single soul about us, I promise you that you will not be lucky enough to receive the Avatar's mercy a second time."

The commander quickly nodded his head and moved himself away from the man in front of him. He ran toward the Komodo Rhino that had been unlucky enough to lose it's rider. He quickly boarded the beast of burden and took off away from the man who had taken out his entire squad with ease.

Percy and the group of teenagers watched as the Komodo Rhino kicked up dust until eventually it was out of sight. Percy turned back toward the group and gave them a nod. He was met with a mixed reaction though.

Toph and Sokka looked absolutely starstruck with the performance that Percy had put on. They had just watched a single man go toe to toe with a bunch of firebenders and come out on top. Katara and Aang were a little bit more troubled. They were obviously not too thrilled with the killing yet they were pleased that Percy had shown restrain.

However, before any of them could say anything. Percy began to speak.

"Hurry. We need to leave before they come back in greater number" Percy said as he made his way back toward the house.

The Gaang were on his heels.

"Wait we?" Sokka asked "I know what you did back there was totally awesome, but we never invited you on to Team Avatar."

Percy climbed up the ladder that was in his house and began to toss down the bags of supplies he had prepared for the group.

"You gave me my invitation when I fought off those Firebenders for you. And besides, the Avatar is going to need all the help he can get when it comes to taking down the Fire Lord."

The group shared a look. Sokka shrugged his shoulders, Katara looked a little worried, Aang looked nervous at just the mention of the Firelord, and Toph remained indifferent, probably because she couldn't see them sharing a look.

Percy finally dropped down from upstairs and let out a whistle. A blur of white followed from up above and a white lemur landed on Aang's shoulder.

"Momo! I missed you buddy!" Aang said with glee.

Percy chuckled, "He was upstairs sleeping. He was as tired as everyone else after your desert adventure."

Team Avatar let out a laugh, but Percy's face turned serious again.

"We need to move." Percy said.

The Gaang quickly filed their way out of Percy's home and Percy pointed them in the direction of Ba Sing Se. As the group made their way up the hill near Percy's home, he took one last look back toward the place where he had spent the last two years in solitude.

After a few seconds of lingering, Percy turned and began to walk alongside the group that was waiting for him. Once he caught up with them, the group took of in the direction of Ba Sing Se.

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 **...And scene. Well everyone, that's the first chapter of A Forgotten Spirit. I hope you all enjoyed it because I had a great time writing it.**

 **1) Okay so there was no part of this fanfic where it explained how Percy got to the Avatar world. For now, you're just going to have to wait and see about that. A good writer never reveals any of his tricks too early.**

 **2) Percy is a little bit out of character in this story. But that's okay! Percy has spent the past two years in solitude living the life of a farmer. He has been reflecting on his life and the events that have occurred in it. And I'm not telling you yet, but it's some pretty heavy stuff. Percy has an uptight and serious nature and right now, he's skeptical of most people. However, he has become very good at reading people. What their intentions are and if they have it out for him. However, this doesn't mean we won't see the old Percy resurface. The child like innocence of the Gaang will help bring the Percy Rick Riordan made us fall in love with.**

 **3) Percy has new weapons. For those of you who love Riptide, it won't be making an appearance yet. I have plans for it in the future, but now, Percy is sticking with his trusty battle hammer axe that was gifted to him by an immortal friend. For the representation of this axe, look no further than Strombreak from Avenger's Infinity War.**

 **4)As some of you guys will more than likely notice, this chapter was heavily inspired by the fight between Kratos and Baldur from God of War4. After watching that fight, it gave me the inspiration to write this story. Don't worry though, future content will steer clear of using GoW4 content and will have fresh new ideas. Again let me repeat that. It will have new and fresh ideas. It won't be a rip off of GoW4. I was merely blown away by the fight scene and thought it would be awesome to change it around a bit to include Percy, the Gaang, and the Fire Nation. And don't worry, Percy won't call Aang and Sokka "boy" the whole story either LMAO.**

 **5) Percy's armor top: Percy's armor is basically just Thor's black armor from Avenger's Infinity War minus the cape and sleeves.**

 **6) This story is currently rated T but it might change to M. Some of the scenes I have planned are a bit more violent now that Percy is fighting with an axe, but of course it could go either way.**

 **7)Ships! I'm not planning on shipping Percy in the first part of this story with anyone. In this, I have Percy at 18 years old and he's too old for any of the girls in this story by a good four years. However, this might change when I have Percy in the Legend of Korra. They're more his age but I'm unsure who to ship him with. I'm a huge fan of Korrasmai and idk if I can break it up but we'll see. After all, it's just fanfiction.**

 **8) Future Chapter Length will probably be between 5,000-12,000 words normally. All depends on my drive to write and my busy college schedule.**

 **Alright guys well that seems to be about it. Please favorite, follow, and review if you enjoyed it. Your reviews give me motivation to write so please do that!**

 **This is son44 signing off. Until next time folks, and happy reading.**


	2. A Good Man

_**Hello everyone! son44 here and I'm back with another new chapter! I worked really hard on this. Please stay tuned and read the author's note at the bottom! It contains important information.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, Avatar the Last Airbender, or anything that you recognize.**_

* * *

Water… Earth… Fire… Air…

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most… he vanished. A hundred years past and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. Along the way we met Toph, a self proclaimed Earthbending master, and Perseus, a fierce, yet humble warrior.

We have a lot to learn before we're ready to save anyone. But I believe, we can save the world.

 _A Forgotten Spirit_

* * *

Percy was currently sitting and he had his feet resting in a small pool of water. His axe was laid across his waist. His right hand was running his sharpening stone against the blade and his left was holding it in place. Next to him was Toph, kicking her feet in the water, while Sokka studied a map on a boulder. The Avatar was currently swimming in the water and Katara was on top of the cliff before them, preparing for a cannon ball.

Traveling with Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph gave Percy major deja vu. Whenever one of them made a witty comment or sarcastic joke, Percy felt like he was back on one of the many quests he had undertaken in his lifetime. To him, it felt like a lifetime ago when he had traveled with Annabeth and Grover to Los Angeles and the Underworld to retrieve the Master Bolt for his uncle.

Percy let out a snort at the thought of Zeus. His fool of an uncle had been the cause of so much strife and conflict in Percy's life. After the war with Gaea, things had only gotten worse. Zeus had grown more paranoid, and when the Oracle of Delphi gave a new prophecy through his close friend Rachel Elizabeth Dare, well… that was the tipping point. Things had gotten significantly worse and Percy did what he had to.

Percy continued to sharpen his axe until he heard Katara call out "Water bending Bomb!"

He glanced up and watched as Katara hurdled toward the water in a cannon ball. As soon as she made contact, a giant sploosh of water exploded that would have made Tyson proud. Aang was thrown from the water, Sokka scrambled to cover his maps, and Toph continued to sit.

Percy stopped sharpening his axe and lazily put his hand up toward the water. The water hung air, as if held by an unseen force. Percy flicked his hand back toward the small lake and the water turned back to its home.

Sokka peeked his head up from his defensive position of protecting the map to witness the water receding back into the lake. He quickly inspected the map to make sure it wasn't wet before he turned to look at his sister.

"Katara these are 5,000 year old spirit library maps. Can you please be a little more careful!"

Toph and Aang let out loud boisterous laugh at the elder boy and Percy just let out a small grin. Katara emerged from the water and began to ring out her hair, removing some of the water.

"Sorry" Katara said sincerely.

Percy glanced over to look at the Water Tribe girl and he noticed Aang was staring at her as well. Katara was pretty, that he couldn't deny. After a few days of travel, he could see that Katara was a kind and always willing to help others. He understood now why the Avatar had a crush on the girl.

The group gathered around as Sokka laid the map from the spirit library onto the ground.

"Did you figure out what route we're gonna take?" Aang asked as he crouched down.

"Okay, we just got out of the desert so we must be around here" Sokka said as he placed his finger down on the map. He then traced his finger north, "And we need to go to Ba Sing, which is here."

The group continued to study map as Sokka continued to speak, "The only road connecting the north to the south is this tiny sliver of land called The Serpent's Pass."

"That sounds almost… dangerous" Percy said as he glanced at the map, looking for any alternate routes.

"Yeah are you sure it's the best way to go?" Toph asked agreeing with Percy.

"It's the only way there" Sokka said as he began to roll up the map, "Besides, it's not like we have Appa to fly us there."

"Shush up about Appa" Katara said quietly, "Can you try and be a little bit more sensitive about that?"

The teenagers glanced toward Aang and he merely shook off Sokka's comment, "Katara it's okay. I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to get to Ba Sing Se and tell the Earth King about the solar eclipse."

Percy stared at Aang and he could see right through the boy's facade. He could tell the younger boy was angry, and that he probably wanted nothing more than to find his companion. However, Percy was impressed. If he was Aang's age, he probably would've done anything to get his friend back. After all, he did go on three quests to save people he cared about.

"Ohh… well okay. I'm glad that you're doing better." Katara said hopefully as she continued to eye the bald boy.

"Then off to Ba Sing Se we go" Sokka said aloud "No more distractions."

"Hello there fellow refugees!" the voice of a man called out.

At the sound of the unknown voice, Percy was quick to his feet to identify the threat. He had his axe in hand and he watched as three people came forward. One was a man, a teenage girl no older than Katara, and a large woman, perhaps pregnant?

Percy saw Sokka on his right raise an eyebrow and he fought back the urge to laugh at the boy. The jinx was an old friend of Percy, but not a good friend. Kind of like a friend who always brought trouble whenever he came around.

He was going to question them further, but Aang placed a hand on Percy's wrist, calming the older man. Percy let out a hmph and begrudgingly placed his axe back onto the hook on his back. Meanwhile, the refugee's had made their way toward the teenagers.

"So are you guys headed to Ba Sing Se too?" Aang asked politely.

"Sure are. We're trying to get there before my wife, Ying, has her baby." the man replied as he rubbed his wife's stomach.

"Great!" Katara said "We can travel through the Serpent's Pass together then."

All three of the refugee's recoiled in fear, "The Serpent's Pass?! Only the truly desperate take _that_ deadly route."

Toph snorted, "Good thing we have me and Percy right then?" the blind girl said as she elbowed Percy in the ribs.

Percy rolled his eyes and smiled lightly because of the girl, but he it quickly disappeared when Sokka spoke.

"Well we are desperate."

"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay" The man said "Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to get to Ba Sing Se."

"And it's hidden" Ying added in "So the Fire Nation can't find it."

"Hm peaceful ferry ride or deadly pass?" Katara asked sarcastically as she rubbed her chin.

Without much of a discussion, the group agreed to head off to Full Moon Bay. The group quickly got dressed, grabbed their supplies, and followed their new refugee friends to the edge of the lake. The whole way there, Percy was onguard. He wasn't a big fan of following strangers, especially to something that sounded almost too good to be true. But he trusted in Aang. After all, he was their leader.

* * *

Percy's faith was rewarded when they finally made it to decently large cave. Inside, there was a lake, a huge sea wall, and multiple ferries which Percy could only imagine led to Ba Sing Se. Closer to them however, were multiple refugees who had begun to set up camp outside the wall. Percy witnessed people of all shapes and sizes, going about their daily lives.

"I can't believe how many people's lives have been uprooted by the Fire Nation" Katara said sadly as she gazed amongst the other refugees.

"It's the ugliness of war" Percy said with coldness in his voice as he stared into the crowd "It's for these people here, why we fight to defeat the Firelord, why we're helping Aang to fulfill his destiny."

The group made their way forward and began to stand in line. The line moved slowly, and Percy felt as though, they would never make it to the front. The group next to them was making small talk with their refugee friends, something about occupation and what it was like in the Water Tribe. However, Percy was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt someone pull on his vest.

Percy glanced down to see a small girl, probably no older than five years or so. He raised an eyebrow before crouching down, so that he was now eye level with her.

"Er... can I help you?" Percy asked awkwardly.

The girl looked nervous. She was holding one arm behind her back with the other, but she finally mustered the courage to speak.

"I'm… I'm lost" The little girl said "Can you help me find my mommy and daddy?"

Percy glanced around and looked for a couple who could potentially be this girl's parents. He looked around and he saw many people walking around, but none were walking together. Percy just groaned and rubbed his head before turning back to the girl.

"I can help you, but you have to point them out to me okay?"

The little girl nodded her head rapidly and quickly grabbed on to Percy's hand. Percy quickly stood up to his full height, and even had to bend down a little so that the girl could continue holding on. He quickly tapped Katara's shoulder and told her what he was going to do. He received a stifled laugh from the Water Tribe girl and a note for him not to get lost himself. Percy shook his head in acknowledgement before heading off with the girl.

The pair waded into the crowded area of where the refugees were and Percy patiently waited for the girl to say anything. He let her guide and she pulled him from one end of the giant room to the other. This occurred a few more times before Percy decided to speak up.

"How about you sit on my shoulders?" Percy said as he peered down toward the girl, "That way you might have a better chance of seeing them."

The little girl nervously nodded her head and in response, Percy picked her up. She made herself comfortable around Percy's neck until she was secure. The girl grabbed onto Percy's hair for balance, and he winced at the sharp pain on his head. However, he ignored it and began to make the same trek from one side of the room to the other.

"So what's your name?" Percy said as he continued to walk, shifting through the crowds.

"My name is Yin" the girl said quietly as she looked around.

"That's a very pretty name" Percy complimented "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

The girl thought for a moment, "No I don't have any. But I am good friends with Bohai. He's annoying like a brother."

Percy let out a laugh, "Who's Bohai?"

The girl scrunched her face up, "He's the boy from the other family I travel with. He's older than me by a few months, but I'm taller than him."

Percy laughed. He forgot how entertaining children could be. Yin continued to babble on his shoulder as Percy walked around. She would go on about her friends back home, what she was learning in school, and if she was going to grow up and be an Earthbender. He tried his best to listen, but the young girl was all over the place. However, the girl really caught his attention when she let out a scream.

"Bohai!" Yin yelled.

A small boy was wandering around, almost as if he was looking for something. This must have been the annoying boy that Yin had told him about. He lifted Yin off his shoulders and she ran to catch up with her friend. The girl wrapped her stubby arms around the boy and she hugged him before quickly letting go.

Percy made his way over, "You must be Bohai. Yin has told me a lot about you."

Bohai pushed Yin behind her, "Yeah? What's it to you? Were you trying to take her?"

The small boy raised his fists and Percy merely laughed at the site. He ruffled the boy's hair, much to his annoyance, "Take us to your parents. I want to make sure you get there safely."

Percy followed the two children through the crowd until they came across two families standing around. He watched from a distance as Yin reunited with her mom and dad. A small smile was drawn to Percy's face. He had missed this.

Yin was picked up by her father and he was carrying her so that Yin was looking over her father's shoulder. Percy offered her a small smile and a wave and Yin gave him a large toothy grin in return. Percy turned to leave but as he did, an elderly voice called out.

"Excuse me young man" the voice said behind him.

Percy turned around and he was now looking at an old man. He was a large man by Percy's standards, but not fat. He had a few wrinkles on his face, and a long grey beard. The man was dressed in tan and green robes and had a hat on his head.

"Can I help you with something sir?" Percy asked.

"I saw you help that little girl and such a kind action should be rewarded. My nephew and I are brewing up a pot of tea and we were curious as to if you would like to join us?"

Percy thought about it for a second. The lines had been moving at a Tiger Slug's pace. Surely one cup of tea wouldn't be too much of a problem.

"I think I'll take you up on your offer" Percy said politely.

The old man offered him a large smile and motioned for Percy to follow. For a man of such a large size, he moved quickly and Percy had to hurry to keep up with him. Eventually, they made it to their destination which was a small bonfire with a small teapot suspended over it. There was a boy with black hair facing the fire and taking care of the teapot.

Eventually, the elderly man made his way over toward his nephew, "Li, we have a guest."

The boy known as Li turned and Percy saw that a huge scar covered the majority of the left side of his face. Percy winced slightly, knowing that receiving that scar must have been painful. Afterall, Percy knew a few things about scars.

"Uncle Ir- Mushi, you brought a stranger to tea?" The boy asked his uncle harshly.

"It's okay Li" Mushi responded "He helped a lost little girl find her family. There is nothing wrong with rewarding those who perform admirable deeds."

Li just grumbled and turned his attention back toward the tea. Mushi motioned for Percy to sit down and he did. He made himself comfortable while Mushi let out a groan as he sat down.

"These old bones aren't what they used to be" Mushi said humorously.

Percy let out a small laugh and held out his hands. Li had taken the teapot off of the fire and handed the Son of Poseidon a cup. He readily accepted and watched as the tea poured into the worn down cup. He blew on the tea for a few seconds to cool it off before he took a sip.

"Mmm" Percy said as he lowered the cup "Jasmine?"

Mushi looked up in surprise, "Very perceptive of you. Not many people appreciate good tea now-a-days."

"After spending the past two years on a farm, one comes to respect the little things in life. One such thing being good tea." Percy replied.

Mushi and Percy chuckled, together while Li was off to the side. The scarred teenager had finished his cup and was eyeing Percy, "What exactly is your name again?"

Percy looked over toward Li, "My name is Perseus, but you can call me Percy if you wish."

"Perseus" Mushi repeated "That is an interesting name."

"It was the name I was born with and it is the name I'll die with." Percy said before he took another sip.

Mushi nodded his head, "Tell me Percy. Why is it that you helped that little girl?"

"Her name was Yin" Percy said as he placed the now empty cup on the floor, "And it's because the purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, and to be compassionate to those who have suffered."

Mushi nodded his head slowly at Percy's words but Li stared at him, taking in the older boy's words.

"I feel as though you're reason for going to Ba Sing Se is more than to escape the Fire Nation then" Mushi said, "Why are you headed there?"

Percy thought to himself for a few seconds before he spoke, "My friends- more like acquaintances, are headed to Ba Sing Se. I decided to join them."

"That's it?" Li asked "You up and left because you wanted to?"

Percy stared at the scared boy for a second. Could he tell these strangers about what he had been going through for the past few days? No. Not all of it. Vague details would suffice. After all, the odds of seeing these two refugee's again were incredibly small.

"There is another reason... two if we're being honest."

Li and Mushi shared a look, and the elder of the two motioned for him to continue.

Percy took a deep breath, "I see myself in my acquaintances. I know what it's like to face insurmountable odds, and I would have done anything for help along the way. I wouldn't say I'm obligated to help them, but they've reminded me of what it's like to fight for what is right. I can no longer shy away from people in need."

"That is truly admirable" Mushi said as he raised his tea cup. After a small sip, he placed it down. "If there were more people like you in this world, then the 100 Year War may have ended long ago."

Percy snorted at that. War had broken the backs of some of the best people he'd known. Throughout it all, he'd watched his friends die from a multitude of trivial things. From fool-hardy quests to wars fought over the god's insecurities.

However, something had always stuck with Percy. A long time ago before Annabeth's death, spirits rest her soul, she had told him something that he never seemed to be able to get out of his head. Over the past two years, he had played it in his head over and over again.

 _Whatever happens tomorrow Seaweed Brain, you have to promise me one thing: stay who you are._ She had then tapped him on the chest and gave him one of those smiles that used to make his heart melt. _Not a perfect soldier, like the gods want you to be, but a good man._

It had been what felt like lifetime ago since she had said those words to him. But in reality, it had only been two years if his memory served him correctly. A lot had changed since then, for better and probably much worse if he was honest with himself.

"And the second?" Li asked.

"...This might sound crazy" Percy said "But I have these dreams. And in them I feel… darkness and light...or something like that, warring with one another."

Li's head moved up to look at Percy and Mushi studied Percy as he listened to his words.

"I feel as though one will triumph over the other soon, and I think I need to be there to see it through."

Percy was confused when it came to this dream. It had been playing through his mind ever since his demigod nightmares from before ended. It had always been the same thing. A figure of darkness trading blows with a figure of light. However, every night, it seemed that the darkness would chip away and steal a piece of the light, making the entity weaker and weaker by the day.

"You feel as it's your destiny?" Mushi asked thoughtfully.

Percy rubbed his chin, deep in thought, "I don't know about destiny. Fate has always been a fickle thing and it changes when you least expect it. But I can't ignore this feeling in my gut that I need to do what's right."

Mushi nodded his head and Percy could tell that older man agreed with what he was saying. Normally, Percy wouldn't talk about this dreams with others. Usually they were dark, and gave him restless nightmares about the horrors he'd seen and committed in his life. But again, it's not like he'd ever see them again. Right?

"So then what do you plan on doing?" the scarred boy asked Percy.

"To continue fighting the good fight" Percy stated "Maybe someday it will lead me to the Fire Nation and if so, I will help do what is necessary."

Percy could have sworn he saw Li and Mushi exchange a quick glance but before he could ask them about it, a boat horn rang out into the air.

"All aboard Ferry Four to Ba Sing Se!" an obnoxiously loud Earth Kingdom soldier yelled out to the crowd.

Hordes of people began to move toward the small entrance to the ferry. Percy heard shuffling behind him and when he turned to look, he saw Li quickly putting out the small fire they had made and packing up what few belongings they had. Percy quickly downed the rest of the tea in his cup and stuck out a hand to help the elderly man off the ground.

Using one hand, Percy hoisted the large man off the ground. Once steady, he handed his cup to Mushi, who thanked him for both helping him up, as well as for the return of the cup.

"Well it was nice getting to enjoy a cup of tea with you" Percy said kindly.

Mushi let out a laugh, "It is nice to find a fellow lover of quality tea."

"I swear you're addicted to it" Percy heard Li mutter under his breath.

Percy bit on the side of his mouth in order to stifle his laugh. Mushi and Li were truly an interesting pair. He would have loved to hear their stories. Alas, time waited for no man though. He wished them well on their trip and gave a small bow to the pair which the two returned. The two soon shuffled away and became lost in the sea of bodies before him.

Percy soon made his way back to see Toph, Aang, and Katara looking on as Sokka was being questioned by one of the security officers. He rolled his eyes at the sight. Percy left for a half hour tops and it all seemed to go down hill. He prepared to make his forward to save the day but he was surprised to see Sokka… get kissed on the cheek? The next thing Percy knew, Sokka had wrapped the guard in a big hug.

Now Percy was really confused. He made his way over next to Aang, "What's going on?"

Aang jumped a little bit as his new companion caught him by surprise. However, the Avatar quickly regained his composure.

"Turns out we know this security guard!" Aang said cheerfully.

After a few hugs exchanged between Aang, Katara, and Suki, Sokka introduced them to the two members of the group who had not had the pleasure of meeting the girl yet.

"Toph. Percy. This is Suki." Sokka said "She's an old friend of ours from when we first started out from the South Pole."

Percy greeted Suki with a small bow and the girl returned it. However, Toph didn't move, instead the blind girl picked her nose. Percy rolled his years at the girl. He had only known her for a few days, but Percy could already tell that Toph was lacking in manners, especially for someone who grew up like she was royalty.

Percy then took it upon himself to nudge Toph. The girl stumbled a bit and once she recovered, she shot Percy a look. However, she understood why he did it, and the Blind Bandit introduced herself to the warrior girl.

Shortly after introductions, Suki pulled them off to a private place where they could catch up. She led them close to the water where there was a small sitting area that overlooked the cove in front of them. Katara, Toph, and Sokka took a seat on the bench, Aang rested against the side wall, Suki choose the railing facing the three, and Percy's large frame took up the doorway so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"You look so much different without your makeup!" Katara said as she praised the girl, "And the new outfit…"

Percy knew that Katara didn't mean it as a slight against Suki. He had gathered bits of information from their walk over that Suki was from Kyoshi Island, a place where one of the previous Avatar's had taken up residence. He understood that makeup was apart of their culture, but if somebody back home had said that they looked very different without makeup on, we… it may have came to blows. Depending on who it was said to of course.

He took a moment to study Suki. The girl was obviously very pretty. She had dark blue eyes that looked almost like a dark shade of grey in the right lighting. Her light auburn hair was much shorter than Katara's, with it resting comfortably around her shoulders. He couldn't quite figure out her age though. If he had to guess, she was probably older than Sokka, maybe sixteen or so.

"That crabby lady at the front makes all the security guards wear them." Suki said with an annoyed tone. However, her demeanor changed when she looked at Sokka, "And look at you sleeveless guy, been working out?"

Sokka had a large grin when he heard Suki's compliment and he began to wind his arms like he was preparing to stretch, "Ehh I'll grab a tree branch and do a few chin touches every now and then."

Toph let out a snort, "Who are you kidding Snoozles? Everyone here knows that Percy has the best muscles out of all of us. Even better than mine and I can bench press Appa!"

Toph's honesty got the group to laugh out loud. Katara laughed at her brother's embarrassment, while Suki and Aang chuckled. Percy tried his best to remain indifferent, but he still had a small smile on his face. He didn't like to brag about his form, but it was nice to be complimented now and then.

"Oh hardy-har-har." Sokka said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

The laughing continued for a short while longer until the group finally calmed down. However, Suki spoke, breaking the silence.

"Speaking of Appa, where is he? Couldn't you all just fly across the water?"

The group, with the exception of Percy, became downtrodden at the mention of their lost pet and companion. Nobody liked talking about it and it was still a sore spot for the group.

"Appa's gone missing" Katara said sadly "We hope to find him in Ba Sing Se."

"I'm so sorry to hear" Suki said with sincerity. She then turned to Aang "Are you doing okay?"

The group turned to look at the Avatar, and Percy could tell they were getting on Aang's nerves. He had been filled in how Aang had almost gone into the Avatar State. He knew what it was like to be constantly coddled and ask if he was doing okay. He had gotten that plenty of times before at camp.

So before Aang could say anything, Percy stepped in, "Aang has told us multiple times that he's just fine. If anything we just need to focus on getting across the lake now."

Aang shot Percy a thankful glance and the older boy nodded in acknowledgment. The group of teens in front of them shared a concerned look and all they could do was shrug it off.

However at that moment, the group heard someone call out for Aang behind them. The group turned and standing there with a fearful eye were the refugees from earlier that had led them to Full Moon Bay in the first place.

"Avatar Aang! You have to help us! Someone has taken all of our belongings!" Ying cried out from her spot. "Our passports, our tickets. Everything's gone!"

"Don't worry!" Aang called out "I'll talk to the lady and take care of it."

After a quick walk to talk with the 'crabby lady' as Suki had called her, the group was no confronting the woman.

"No passports! No tickets!" The woman yelled angrily as she stamped Aang's forehead with a denial stamp.

Suki had been right, this woman was crabby. The woman and Aang continued to argue and Percy was getting angrier by the second. This woman was being unreasonable, going on about order and and how civilization would collapse. However, the breaking point for Percy came when the woman had outright denied an exchange of tickets between their group and Ying's family.

Percy stormed past Aang and approached the woman. Percy stood a few inches below the woman, due to the fact she was up on a giant stone pedestal, but Percy was unwilling to back down. He had stood up to meaner and tougher obstacles before, so he wasn't going to let a glorified gatekeeper with a superiority complex stop him and the rest of his friends from helping people who needed it.

"Listen here you ugly nutsack looking witch" Percy said, the venom in his voice clearly evident, "You're being illogical and downright monstrous right now by denying these people the right to switch places with us."

"How dare y-" the woman tried to say but Percy cut her off.

"No how dare you!"

Unknown to Percy, the wind in the air had started to pick up and swirl a bit. The water of the lake crashed harder against the sea wall and the humongous ferry boats that were docked in the harbor began to rock violently in response. The Gaang took note of the sudden change in the weather, but they were too enthralled with Percy beratting the crabby woman in front of them.

"You denying these people here, is almost the same as giving them a death sentence! What do you expect them to do? Walk all the way across the Serpent's Pass? They're a family of non-bender refugees who, in case you didn't notice, are freaking pregnant!? You'd have to be either messed up in the head or just like watching people suffer to deny them." Percy spat.

The crabby woman's right eye began to twitch and she was seething with anger. She probably hadn't been bossed around like this since she was appointed to this meaningless position by some bureaucrat.

"I will not be back talked to by some upstart teenager!" the woman yelled in response "Security! Take him away!"

Two guards moved to apprehend Percy and the boy just rolled his eyes. He really didn't want to have to cause a scene, but the woman had given him no choice. One of the guards stomped on the ground with his right foot and a medium sized boulder jumped out of the ground. With an extension from his right arm, the boulder came hurtling toward Percy.

In one fluid motion, Percy grabbed his axe from his back and spun it in his grip so that the hammer part was ready for action. He gripped the bottom of the ax tightly and swung the axe like a baseball bat. The hammer collided with the boulder on impact and debris from the hammer launched back toward the guard. A small boulder hit him in the forehead, knocking him out cold.

The second guard rushed forward with a spear. Seriously, what was it about people with spears thinking they could take him on? The guard came to an abrupt stop once he thought he was in striking distance and he lunged forward with the spear. Percy merely sidestepped out of the way, and while the sphere was outstretched, he grabbed it with his one free hand and brought his knee up, cracking the spear in half like a twig.

The guard glanced down at the now useless stick in his hand. He glanced up, gulped, and dropped the broken spear, raising his hands in surrender. Percy merely nodded and turned to look back at the crabby woman. Her angry eye twitch had been replaced by a cowardly fear in her eyes after seeing her henchmen be defeated so easily.

Percy pointed his axe toward the woman, the sharp blade about a yard from her face.

"Let these people have our tickets and in their place, we'll walk across the Serpent's pass" Percy all but commanded the woman.

The crabby woman quickly nodded her head and got her stamp out. Percy had to snap at Sokka to get his attention. Once he had snapped the Water Tribe Boy out of his stupor, he came forward and presented the tickets. The woman quickly stamped them, not wanting to be in there presence anymore.

Percy lowered his axe and flashed her a cheeky smile, "Thank you, for your consideration."

He then turned to leave and he looked back toward his friends. His eyes caught Suki's and he could feel the light bulb go off in head. So this is what it felt like to be smart like Annabeth.

He quickly pivoted on his feet and turned around to face the crabby woman.

"One last thing" he said "You're going to let the Kyoshi Warriors dress how they want to dress, make up and all. And Suki will be joining our merry little group as our guide through the pass, whether you like it or not."

With a quick turn, Percy made his way back and collected the tickets from Sokka. He made his way over to Ying and her family along with Aang and the two handed them the tickets. The family was overcome with joy and Ying even brought herself to hug Aang and himself.

"Thank you so much" Ying said as she started to become teary eyed "You have no idea what this means to us."

"It's no problem ma'am" Aang said with a smile "Happy to be of service."

Percy smiled and nodded, "Never give up hope. It saves us, lifts us up, and transform us. Don't ever forget it."

The family gave them warm smiles and even brought themselves to hug Percy again. He was a little awkward. Afterall, he hadn't been hugged in years, but he didn't mind. He was glad to just feel helpful again.

* * *

Soon after their little fiasco with the crabby lady, the group had begun the long trek through the Serpent's Pass. Surprisingly to Percy, the path was filled with twists and turns and not just a straight shot. Untrained civilians would never had made it out, especially without Suki as a guide and Toph's and Aang's earthbending to save them from the occasional slip up.

They made good time through the pass. If they had brought Ying and her family, travel time would've been even slower and who knows what kind of trouble they could've ran in to. They had even spotted a Fire Nation warship at one point, but it was easy enough to sneak by since they were merely specks on the pass.

After a few hours of walking, the group had made it to a break in the pass. And when Percy said break, he literally meant a break. There was no path before them and it was the point in which the two halves of the lake connected.

"What do we do now?" Suki said as she stared at the broken gap.

It was an unspoken opinion that everyone refused to swim across. They hadn't seen any serpent yet, but frockling in the water would be sure to get them some unwanted attention.

"We could make a bubble and go underneath?" Aang suggested "Me and Katara could waterbend one and just walk."

"I don't know about that" Sokka said as he rubbed his chin "We don't know how deep it is and we could run out of air before we even made it to the other side."

"I think I have a way" Percy said as he moved toward the water.

The group of friends watched with intrest as Percy moved close to the water's edge. Once there, he crouched and dropped to a knee. He placed both his hands in the water and he began to focus. At first nothing happened, but the group's eyes widened at the sight before them. A path of ice connecting the two shores was now in front of them. It appeared quickly and if any of them had blinked, they may have missed it.

Percy stood up and turned back around to face them, "You guys coming or what?"

The group shared a look amongst themselves and Aang merely shrugged as he went forward. Katara, Suki, and Toph went next following Aang's lead, but Sokka was a little suspicious of the ice bridge. Could it even support all of their combined weight? None-the-less, the group made their way forward.

"So Percy" Suki began "Are you waterbender then?"

"I've been wondering that myself" Katara agreed alongside with Suki "When you were fighting the Fire Nation back at your house, you made water erupt from the ground. I've never heard, read, or seen anything like that before."

Percy flinched at their questions. How could he reveal this in a way that wouldn't reveal too much about who he really was. More importantly, _what_ he really was.

"Well it's a long story" Percy began "You see I…"

And it was at that moment, Percy heard a loud crash and the roar of a beast behind him. He groaned at the thought. Of course, it would be just their luck to find the serpent. But then again, maybe it might have been a good thing? It certainly drew away attention from the waterbending question he had been asked.

However, Percy got his answer when he turned around. In front of him was a giant green serpent with purple lines flowing throughout its body. The beast had glowing red orbs for eyes and row upon row of razor sharp teeth in its mouth. Oh yeah, this definitely wasn't a good thing, more of a terrible thing if he was being honest.

The beast let out another screech and everyone covered their ears at the high pitch sound. However, Percy looked up at the beast in shock. He didn't hear the loud ear shattering sonic waves. Instead, he heard the beast screaming for help. So of course, Percy being the bone headed idiot he was, jumped into the water to help.

Mid-dive, Percy realized how dumb he was being. Sea creatures usually listened to him, but this serpent was different. He had no clue whether or not it was a sea creature or a monster, but worst case scenario, he was fighting it on equal footing.

After a few seconds, the serpent slinked back into the water until it was face to face with Percy. The creatures jaws could easily have swallowed him whole, but instead, Percy moved forward and placed his hand on the tip of the serpent's nose. The beast closed its eyes and Percy heard it speak to him.

 _My lord please help_ the Serpent said to him.

"Don't call me that" Percy said underwater "But what's the problem?"

 _There is a harpoon lodged underneath one of my scales. A Fire Nation warship tried to kill me, but they thought they could be so lucky. I need help removing it._

Percy nodded his head and commanded the water to move him around the serpent. He felt the familiar tug as the current pulled him. After a few minutes of searching, he had finally found the harpoon. It was in the upper middle part of the serpent's body, and Percy could understand the beast's struggle. There was no way it could have maneuvered its body to pull it out.

Percy willed the water to move him and before he knew it, his hands were grasped around a rusty metal harpoon and his feet were placed firmly on the serpent's scale.

"This is going to hurt. A lot!" Percy called out to the serpent.

 _Just remove it my lord! Us spirits can handle the pain._

Spirits? The serpent was a spirit? Percy shook his head free of thought. He could ask it about it being a spirit later. Percy steadied himself, and began to pull.

The rusted harpoon was stuck in there tight, but Percy didn't quit so easily. With a brutish yawp, Percy put all of his strength into the task. He felt the harpoon start to wiggle free, and a bit of blood seeped from it's hide. The serpent gave out a roar of pain, but Percy continued besides its protests. With one last tug, Percy pulled the harpoon free and sailed backwards through the water as a result of the force.

Percy eyed the harpoon. It was certainly a big one at that. Easily fifteen or twenty feet since he was just eyeballing it. At that moment, the serpent pulled around in the water and floated in front of him.

 _Thank you again my lord. That was truly a pain in my side for much too long._

"It's no problem" Percy replied, "But I have a question for you."

 _Ask away._

"You're a spirit? How are you here?"

 _I am a spirit. Many years ago, the spirit portals connecting the spirits with the humans was open. Spirits shared the land and humans shared with the spirits. But the very first Avatar closed the portals, believing it was best for them to stay separated._

"And you didn't follow? Why?"

 _I was physically unable to. The spirit portals were located at the North and South poles. Going to the spirit world was never once an option for me, so I remained here. It became my self appointed duty to watch over those who sailed these waters._

"Truly a worthy calling" Percy replied "I will leave you to your work then."

Percy prepared to head back toward the surface. His traveling partners were probably freaking out. He had been underwater longer than humanly possible and he didn't want to scare them any more than he had. He prepared himself to launch out of the water, but he was stopped by the voice of the serpent spirit.

 _My lord, a moment before you leave._

Percy turned around and sighed, "Still going with the my lord stuff?"

 _It is a sign of respect. Most of the spirits know of the legendary deeds you performed before you came here. It is no easy task to fell a god, let alone the -_

"Stop right there" Percy said as he interrupted "That isn't my life anymore. I have a new calling,... a new destiny."

The serpent bowed its head in respect, _As you wish my lord. But remember it is never wise to run from what you are. It will always catch up with you in the end._

Percy mused over the serpent's words. He was right after all. Running from your past never worked and was always unavoidable. But for now, he would have to save it for another day. However, the spirit serpent said once last thing before Percy left.

 _My lord, in return for saving me, I want you to know that I am in your debt. And a spirit never leaves his debts unpaid._

"Duly noted" Percy replied.

And with that, Percy propelled himself out of the water and onto the other side of the Serpent's Pass. Upon his landing, he almost crashed into Toph, but with some fancy maneuvering, he danced around her tiny body.

"Found him!" Toph called out loud.

The group came scrambling over to them. Katara came from the right, Sokka and Suki from the left, and Aang touched down from the sky after flying around on his glider.

"How is it exactly that the blind girl found him and the people with functioning eyes didn't?" Sokka asked aloud.

However, the boy was ignored as Katara came up and slapped him in the arm.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again!"

"Yikes I'm sorry" Percy said as he looked at the red mark on his bicep "I didn't think I was doing any harm?"

"You jumped into the ocean with a sea monster" Suki pointed out "If anything you put yourself in harms way."

Percy opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it. He tried again, but he was met with the same result. He had no comeback, no argument. He was clearly wrong for scaring them.

"Touche" Percy said "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Better not" Katara said as she now flashed him a friendly smile "After all, you're family now. And we take care of our family."

Percy blinked, "Family?"

"Or course man" Sokka said as he tried to sling an arm around the noticeably taller teenager's shoulder "You're a part of Team Avatar now. And Team Avatar members are legally required to sign binding contracts to forever be family."

A smile crept up on Percy's face, "And I'm just now hearing about this? Did Suki have to sign one?"

"I signed mine way back on Kyoshi Island" Suki said lightheartedly "Don't try and re-drag me into this."

The group laughed, and a smile appeared on Percy's face. He liked these guys, and they were beginning to feel a tiny bit more like family everyday.

* * *

After continuing their grueling journey through the treacherous slopes of the Serpent's Pass, they finally made it to the end. The outer wall of Ba Sing Se was in sight, albeit on the horizon. However, it had started to become dark out and Katara suggested that they stop for dinner and get some much needed rest. Aang had wanted to keep going. After all, Appa wasn't going to find himself. The young avatar was betrayed by his own stomach though, as it let out a loud growl.

Begrudgingly and slightly embarrassed, Aang agreed to set up camp. The group went about their chores. Suki and Sokka went to collect firewood, Aang and Katara had set up their sleeping area, while he and Toph set about collecting fish and wild fruit.

After about what Percy guessed was half an hour, the group was sitting next to one another at the fire. They were laughing and joking with one another. However, the vibe in this group was… different. It was different from what he had felt at Camp Half-Blood so long ago. Back then, you could be surrounded by people, yet still be lonely. But here? Here he felt like he was part of this group, this… family.

After a rather uneventful dinner filled with small talk, the group headed to bed. Sokka and Suki made their way over to their mats which were more secluded than the others, while the rest of the group headed to bed.

However, Percy couldn't sleep. He tried sleeping on his right side, his left, and then onto his back. Unfortunately, this cycle continued late into the night and the sound of Toph's excessively loud snoring did nothing to help his case.

At that point, Percy decided to get up and just take a walk. He needed to clear his head and process the information from the day. After a short walk away from camp, he sat himself down on a large rock and looked out at toward the lake.

Finding a serpent spirit was certainly not what he was expecting today. But the thing that concerned him the most was they knew about him and what he'd done. He wasn't necessarily afraid that spirits knew about him, but he was nervous that they would tell Aang. He was the bridge between the human and spirit world. And if Aang, the peaceful monk avatar knew about his actions, well, then he may not be a part of Team Avatar for long.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard someone approaching. Percy glanced over his shoulder and he saw the familiar face of Sokka.

"Oh sorry" Sokka said as he saw Percy, "I didn't think anyone else was over here."

"It's alright" Percy said as he gestured for Sokka to come over.

The younger boy took a seat on the rock Percy was on and the pair looked out at the water.

"What's on your mind Sokka?" Percy said as he continued to stare out.

"How did you know something was wrong?"

"I never said anything was wrong, but I know I use late night walks to think. And only after knowing you for a few days, I can tell something is on your mind."

Sokka huffed and rubbed the back of his neck. Oh yeah, something was definitely up.

"It's complicated" Sokka started "But basically back at the North Pole, I failed to save someone I cared about and I swore to myself I'd never let it happen again."

Percy nodded his head in understanding. Sokka had been acting rather strangely over the past day. He had been incredibly over protective of Suki for no apparent reason, but this explanation made his actions a little bit more understandable.

"I understand the want to protect people. It's admirable and something that one should be proud of. But there's a difference between actually protecting and being overprotective" Percy explained to the boy, "Everyone here can fend for themselves should the situation ever arise. Don't ever forget that."

Sokka sat there quietly for a few moments, processing his words. Percy knew that Sokka could understand what he was getting at. The Water Tribe boy was intelligent, even if he made some bonehead moves from time to time. Eventually, Sokka stood up and offered his hand forward for a handshake. Percy rose from his spot on the rock and shook his friend's hand.

"Ya know Percy" Sokka said "I was a little bit worried about you joining our group, but I think I was worried for no reason. You seem like a good man."

Percy smiled a bit, "Thanks Sokka. It means a lot."

With that the two boys finally broke off their handshake. Sokka turned and headed back the way he came, probably to finally go to bed now that his worry and fear had finally been quelled. However, Percy's smile disappeared as soon as Sokka was out of sight. He plopped down on the rock and starred out over the water, wondering just exactly what the future had in store for him.

* * *

 _ **... and scene.**_

 _ **Well everyone that's a wrap on Chapter 2 of A Forgotten Spirit. I worked oh so very hard on this so it would be the world to me if you left a favorite/follow/and a constructive review. Now time for announcements:**_

 _ **1) As you guys may have noticed, my update schedule is random at best. I also have two other stories I'm working on. So as a writer, it's my duty to balance them. So as of now I'm finally introducing my new update schedule! It will be like this:**_

 _ **Heroes of Remnant - A Forgotten Spirit - Together - Heroes of Remnant - A Forgotten Spirit - Together... and so own and so forth.**_

 _ **Additionally, I am now promising I will get at least one update out per month for each story. That is HoR, AFS, and Together will all have at least one update in June, one in July, etc. With summer coming up, I now have much more time to write and you, my readers, will be reaping the benefits of that.**_

 _ **2) I like to think of myself as Peter Cottontail because I dropped numerous Easter Eggs throughout the chapter. Can you find them all?**_

 _ **3) Sorry for the small amount of action in this chapter. I know nobody wants to read the same script as Avatar the Last Airbender with Percy added in to small parts, but this was necessary for the chapter. I promise things will be shaken up in the next one and you all will get plenty of action. After all, The Drill is the next chapter and man oh man am I ready for Percy to meet Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai for the first time. It's gonna be epic.**_

 _ **Alright guys that's it for now. I hope everyone has had a good beginning to their summer so far!**_

 _ **This is son44 signing off. Until next time folks, and happy reading.**_


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